The present invention relates to motor vehicles and more particularly to an adjustable apparatus for use in the interior of a vehicle for providing comfort and support as an arm rest and for organizing and storing keys, coins, glasses, beverages, and the like.
Since the dawn of the automobile age approximately a century ago, manufacturers and inventors have attempted to make driving more comfortable. Of particular importance is seating comfort for the driver. Driving is by nature a stressful and fatiguing activity, and much effort has gone into relieving strain on the driver's back and arms. Various devices for resting the arms have been developed including the early Spencer arm rest of U.S. Pat. No. 1,426,787. This device was a simple shelf that attaches to an automobile's window frame. A later apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,026, added a lower elbow rest with a side slot to the Spencer elbow rest. With the wide range of vehicles now in use and given the great physical differences between typical automobile users, an adjustable arm rested is needed that will accommodate a wide degree of adjustability.
On degree of adjustability which is not adequately addressed in the background art is the slanting or tilting of the lower arm or elbow rest to accommodate modern ergometric automobile design features.
For instance, in many late model cars, the front seats adjust so that the entire seat structure tilts forward or backward. This tilt is in part to allow for varying degrees of leg and lumbar back support. Tilting of the arm rest allows for a more natural symmetry of the arms relative to the rest of the body in such a seat placement. A second advantage of using a slanted elbow rest is for the flexibility it provides when used in conjunction with so-called tilt or adjustable steering wheels. Use of a slanted elbow rest for resting the arm is more comfortable when used in conjunction with steering wheels adjusted at acute angles relative to driver seating. A third advantage of using a slanted elbow rest is that the elbow can be easily adjusted to varying height positions along the same rest without having to make a physical adjustment to the structure assembly.
Thus there is a need for an adjustable window mounting vehicle accessory that overcomes the above disadvantages.